Within Five Feet
by obasan45
Summary: Ran Shuei X Li Koyu. Sequel to TWIN IRISES. Ryuki gets a close-up look at his Twin Irises on the way to Sa Province. Now there is a sequel - TAKEN COLD


**Title : Within Five Feet**

**Rating : T**

**Genre : Humour/Angst**

**Summary** : **Ryuki** **gets** **a** **close**-**up** **look** **at** **his** **Twin** **Irises**.

**Disclaimer : I do not own Saiunkoku Monogatari. It belongs to Sai Yukino.**

**Pairing : Ran Shuei X Li Koyu**

**Warning : Yaoi, m/m, nothing graphic, you have been warned. **

**Notes : **

**(1) This is a SEQUEL to Twin Irises.**

**(2) When watching the episode in season 1 where Ryuki was in Sa Province chasing after Shurei to get a glimpse of her, I wondered why the Emperor had his Twin Irises with him. Okay, Shuei is his personal guard, but why Koyu? Koyu cannot protect the Emperor, and his walking brain is of no use on this mission. If anything, his clumsiness and lack of direction make him more of a liability than an asset. The only reason I can think of is that Koyu is there because Shuei wants him to be. And why does Shuei want him to be there? **

**PLEASE REVIEW. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER, I APPRECIATE YOUR NOT-LOGGED-IN COMMENTS (MY RESPONSE WILL BE ON THE REVIEW PAGE IF I CAN'T SEND YOU A PM).**

* * *

Ryuki looked from one Iris to the other.  
"Let me get this straight. Koyu, you asked to come on this trip to Sa Province because Shuei can't last six weeks without sex?"

Koyu nodded solemnly.  
Shuei blushed.  
Ryuki burst out giggling.

"Just one question, Koyu. Shuei's sex-starved brain may not have realized this, but surely YOU must know that as my bodyguard Shuei has to keep me within his sight and hearing at all times. In fact, the guideline says **within** **five** **feet** **at** **all** **times**."

Ryuki struggled to maintain his kingly composure.  
"And how do the two of you propose to have sex, with me within five feet of you at all times?"

Ryuki's composure almost came apart at Shuei's expression.  
"In any case, I've always wanted to see you naked, Shuei, so this arrangement suits me just fine."

Shuei started. He stole a furtive glance at Koyu standing next to him.

Koyu had a slight frown.  
"What's this?"

Shuei glared at Ryuki.

Ryuki became flustered.  
"Well, er … you see, Koyu, I … um, before, yes, yes, WAY before you came into the picture, I … well, I …"  
At Koyu's deepening frown, Ryuki panicked.  
"IpropositionedShueibuthedidn'tlikemen."

Ryuki squirmed. Shuei sweated.

Finally, Koyu spoke.  
"So. Now that that is no longer true, what then?"

Shuei was caught, and he knew it.  
_Koyu_, _are_ _you_ _trying_ _to_ _get_ _me_ _beheaded_? _Anytime_ _now_, _His_ _Highness_ _is_ _going_ _to_ _think_ …

Ryuki spun around to face Shuei. He looked incredulous, and more than a little hurt.  
"You asked Koyu to come on this trip to protect yourself against ME?"

"No, Your Highness, that's not it."

"Then what else could it be? How could you even think that I would come between my Twin Irises? Did you think that I would ORDER you to have sex with me?"

"Your Highness"  
Koyu's deep voice cut into Ryuki's mounting agitation.

"Your Highness, you got it in reverse. Shuei wants me on this trip so that HE wouldn't succumb to temptation."  
Koyu gave Shuei a tight smile.  
"Am I not right, Shuei?"

Ryuki looked at Shuei. Inspite of the fact that they were out in the open, and the early morning air was chilly, Ryuki saw the sweat form on Shuei's face and roll down his neck, disappearing into the collar of his riding outfit. Shuei's hand, holding his horse's rein, jerked spasmodically. The horse picked up Shuei's nervousness and fidgeted.

Ryuki too fidgeted.  
_Poor_ _Shuei_, _he_ _looks_ _like_ _he's_ _about_ _to_ _pee_ _in_ _his_ _riding_ _pants_. _I_ _shouldn't_ _be_ _here_ _to_ _witness_ _this_!

Ryuki started to back away. He felt Koyu's hand on his shoulder.  
_Koyu's_ _not_ _as_ _calm_ as _he_ _looks_. _His_ _hand_ _is_ _trembling_.

"No, Your Highness. Within five feet, remember?  
From this moment on, for the next six weeks, I'm afraid you'll have to witness, at close range, all that goes on between your Twin Irises."

Koyu lifted his hand from Ryuki's shoulder. Ryuki looked into the steely pale grey eyes and swallowed.  
_I'm_ _just_ _glad_ _that_ _it's_ _Shuei_ _he's_ _angry_ _at_, _not_ _me_!

Koyu turned to Shuei.  
"So. Now it's men too, Shuei?"  
Koyu sighed.  
"It's Koga House all over again, isn't it, Shuei?"

Ryuki had some idea what was going on. The Koga House incident had seen a very public break-up of the Twin Irises, with Koyu moving out of the Ran Manor. But then there was the even more public making-up with the first-ever same-sex wedding in Saiunkoku. Ryuki himself was the guest of honour at his Twin Irises' wedding.

Post-wedding, the Twin Irises continued to provide the grapevine with much fodder. Apparently, Shuei was given a free rein. Betting pools were set up each time Shuei "lapsed" on his unaccompanied visits to Koga House. So far those placing their bets on the Twin Irises' break-up have had to pay up. To give Shuei credit, these lapses do not happen all that often.

Ryuki looked from one silent Iris to the other. He didn't know where his sympathy lay. Koyu didn't even look angry anymore. He looked tired. And Shuei had the expression Ryuki had seen on men on deathrow, he was waiting for the axe to fall.

"Koyu … Koyu … don't leave me."  
Shuei's voice cracked. His hands, groping blindly, missed Koyu altogether.

_Why_ _can't_ _Shuei_ _see_?  
Ryuki looked at Shuei's eyes, expecting to see tears.

Shuei's violet eyes were vacant.  
_What_ _are_ _those_ _eyes_ _seeing_? _A_ _future_ _without_ _Koyu_? _The_ _past_, _the_ _time_ _when_ _they_ _were_ _apart_?

Ryuki heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Koyu step forward, allowing Shuei's hands to find him. Their arms twined around each other, their aqua and violet heads pressed against each other in a silent embrace.

Looking on, Ryuki had a sudden understanding of what Shuei was trying to tell him some time back.

[**FLASHBACK**]

"**What** **do** **you** **mean**, **Shuei**? **Why** **do** **I** **need** **to** **start** **finding** **another** **military** **man** **I** **can** **trust**? **I** **have** **you**, **and** **you** **are** **in** **the** **prime** **of** **your** **life**!"

"**Your** **Highness**, **anything** **can** **happen**. **I** **can** **die** **suddenly**, **or** **I** **can** **become** **completely** **useless** **overnight**."

**Ryuki** **laughed**.  
"**Completely** **useless** **overnight**? **Come** **now**, **Shuei**!"

**Shuei** **shrugged**.  
"**Just** **start** **looking**, **Your** **Highness**."

_Completely_ _useless_ _overnight_. _Yes_, _indeed_. _If_ _Koyu_ _leaves_ _him_, _Shuei_ _would_ _be_ _broken_.  
Ryuki felt a constriction in his chest.  
_  
And_ _Shuei_ _is_ _well_ _aware_ _of_ _that_. _He_ _lives_ _with_ _that_ _fear_ _everyday_.  
_Koyu_. _Does_ _Koyu_ _know_ _that_?

Ryuki looked at Koyu. Koyu was embracing Shuei with one hand, and petting him with the other. His cheek was pressed against Shuei's, and he was making a soft humming sound. Shuei, eyes still closed, was seeking Koyu's lips. Koyu kissed him, tenderly.

_Koyu_ _knows_.  
Ryuki's chest was really hurting as he looked upon his Twin Irises.

From his vantage point of "within five feet", Ryuki saw what the world couldn't see, that Koyu, the much younger partner, the inexperienced virgin, the guileless directionless idiot, was the source of strength in this relationship.

Ryuki also saw another truth. The emperor's Twin Irises had been likened to twin pillars, one military, one civil, that held up Saiunkoku. Ryuki shuddered to think of the heavy burden placed on Koyu's slender frame. He realized that it was time he took Shuei's advise seriously -- as emperor, he needed to find more pillars with which to support Saiunkoku.

"Your Highness"  
Koyu's voice woke Ryuki from his musings.

Koyu was disentangling himself from Shuei's embrace.  
"I'll leave Shuei to you, then. I'm sorry that the situation has become rather awkward."

"I'll collect you in six weeks, Shuei."  
Koyu mounted his horse and rode off.

Ryuki was too stunned to react. Shuei, too, could only stare after the departing Koyu.

* * *

Koyu dismounted. He tethered his horse to a tree branch. He fell to his knees. He crawled to the trunk of the tree and curled up against it.  
_I'm_ _so_ _tired_. _Shuei_ …

Koyu heard someone calling his name, from somewhere far far away.  
_Go_ _away_. _I'm_ _tired._ _Leave_ _me_ _alone_.

The calling became insistent. It wasn't calling his name anymore, it was …  
_Oi_!  
_No_ _one's_ _supposed_ _to_ _call_ _me_ _that_! _No_ _one_, _except_ _Shuei_.  
_And_ _Shuei's_ _with_ _His_ _Highness_. _His_ _Highness_, _Ryuki_.  
_Ryuki_, _that's_ _too_ _close_ _for_ _comfort_.  
_Dammit_, _Shuei_, _why_ _does_ _it_ _have_ _to_ _be_ _Ryuki_?  
_I_ _have_ _to_ _see_ _Ryuki_ _every_ _day_!  
_Damn_ _you_, _Shuei_, _damn_ _you_, _damn_ _you_, …

"DAMN YOU, SHUEI!"  
Koyu shouted himself awake.

Koyu blinked.  
"Shuei. Are you home already, Shuei?"

Koyu saw that Shuei's arms were wrapped around him. He twisted out of Shuei's embrace.  
"TAKE A BATH FIRST, YOU BASTARD! I CAN SMELL RYUKI ON YOU!"  
Koyu started crawling away from Shuei.

Shuei dragged Koyu, hissing and snarling, back into his embrace. Koyu screamed and shouted expletives that Shuei never knew Koyu was capable of using. Shuei pulled his shirt open, and pressed Koyu's face into his chest. Struggling to hold on to Koyu, Shuei gasped,  
"Not on my skin, Koyu. I didn't touch Ryuki at all. Ryuki helped me up the horse, that's why his smell is on my clothes."

Koyu stopped struggling. He nuzzled Shuei's chest.  
"Smells nice. Smells like Shuei. Shuei …"

Koyu fell asleep against Shuei's chest. Shuei touched his hand to Koyu's forehead. He looked up at Ryuki.

"He's having a fever. We've got to get back to Kyo, Your Highness."

Ryuki knelt down next to Shuei and Koyu.  
"Shuei, you can't bring Koyu back to Kyo in that state. Lord Reishin will have a breakdown. We'll ride on to the next town."

* * *

Shuei, carrying the serving tray, turned in exasperation.  
"Your Highness, aren't you carrying this 'within five feet' thing too far? I want to talk to Koyu ALONE. Do you mind?"

Ryuki grinned and said nothing. He continued to trail five feet behind Shuei.

Koyu looked up as Shuei, then Ryuki, entered the room. Koyu noted Shuei's irritated glance at Ryuki.  
_Well, I'M glad Ryuki's here. I'm not up to facing Shuei alone._

Koyu let himself be propped up and fed gruel.

Shuei, between spoonfuls of gruel, was watching Koyu closely.  
_Does he remember what happened when we found him against the tree?  
Does he remember cursing me?  
Does he remember his raw anger, the raw anger that he has never ever shown to me?_

Shuei wiped Koyu's mouth and chin.  
"Koyu, I didn't lie when I told you the reason for wanting you on this trip, that I can't last six weeks without sex. It has got nothing to do with His Highness. I don't have a thing for His Highness. It's just that, after a couple of weeks without sex, well, even a tree trunk would start to look alluring!"

Koyu laughed. Ryuki, seated a distance away, snorted in protest.

Hearing Koyu laugh, Shuei felt a weight lifted off him. He edged closer to Koyu and took Koyu's hand in his.  
"I didn't tell you about His Highness propositioning me before because it didn't seem to matter, because before His Highness met Shurei, he was propositioning just about every decent-looking court official!"  
Shuei paused.  
"Did he proposition you, Koyu?"

Koyu shook his head, smiling.

Shuei kissed Koyu's palm, keeping his eyes locked on Koyu's.  
"He doesn't know what he's missing."

Shuei leaned in for a kiss. Koyu tilted his chin in anticipation.

"OH NO, YOU DON'T !"

Shuei found himself physically removed from Koyu's lips by the irate Ryuki.

Ryuki dropped Shuei unceremoniously on the floor, and planted himself between the two lovers. Koyu stared at Ryuki non-comprehendingly with his large almond-shaped eyes. Shuei just sat on the floor, dazed.

Ryuki waited until both Koyu and Shuei have gathered their wits before speaking.  
"I've had just about enough from the two of you. I KNEW that this would happen."

Ryuki turned on Koyu.  
"You, Li Koyu. What about all that anger that you couldn't help showing when we found you against the tree? Are you going to suppress it AGAIN? You pride yourself on being honest, what about honesty with regards to your own feelings? Why do you not allow yourself to be angry?"

Ryuki spun around to face Shuei.  
"And you, Ran Shuei. I saw you when Koyu was ranting at you. I saw your reaction. You were shocked by the intensity of Koyu's anger. Obviously you have never seen that before. And what do you do? Make a joke, get Koyu to laugh, turn on the sex appeal, and voila! Koyu becomes all soft and pliable. I may be only as alluring as a tree trunk, Ran Shuei, but I'm not as stupid as a block of wood!"

Ryuki looked at the stunned faces on either side of himself. Seeing them trying to look past his body to get a cue from each other, Ryuki was both touched and exasperated. He decided that keeping them physically apart didn't achieve anything. Ryuki moved away. In a flash, Shuei had gotten off the floor and was back on the bed, seated next to Koyu.

Ryuki shook his head in resignation, suppressing a smile. He set a chair down facing the bed and sat in it. He crossed his arms.  
"Koyu?"

"Huh?"  
koyu jumped.

Ryuki's amber eyes were warm and gentle.  
"Why don't you allow yourself to be angry with Shuei?"

Koyu frowned, biting his lip, his grey eyes troubled.  
"Because it will achieve nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing."

Koyu turned to Shuei and gave Shuei a light peck on the cheek. He laced his fingers through Shuei's.

Koyu turned back to Ryuki.  
"Anger will frighten Shuei. Anger will not change anything. I know that Shuei is terrified of losing me, yet he cannot stay faithful, not even to save our relationship. I also believe that Shuei doesn't WANT to be unfaithful, that's why he asked me to come on this trip, and that was also why he asked me to accompany him to Koga House for his work. Although he was not honest enough to tell me the real reason for the request both times, I appreciate his effort to stay faithful."

Koyu paused.  
"Anger is meaningless if it is not constructive."

Shuei's fingers, interlaced with Koyu's, trembled. Koyu squeezed them gently without turning to look at Shuei. Ryuki noted both the small movement and the trembling that preceded it.

Ryuki's voice was very gentle when he spoke to Shuei.  
"Shuei, why did you ignore Koyu's anger?"

"I didn't know how to deal with it."  
Shuei sounded and looked miserable.

Ryuki sighed.  
"You could at least ACKNOWLEDGE it. That applies to you too, Koyu."

Koyu shrugged.  
"What's the point of just acknowledging it, if nothing can be done about it?"

"Koyu, I totally get what you said earlier about your anger, but if you don't acknowledge it, it will go underground and fester. More importantly, denying your anger has made you choose actions that are destructive to yourself, and to Shuei."

"What do you mean?"

"You said you appreciated Shuei's efforts to remain faithful, yet your unacknowledged anger has made you deny Shuei the help he desperately needed from you. You rode off and left Shuei in the very situation he was trying to avoid. What you didn't see, Koyu, was Shuei sinking to the ground after you rode off, holding his head in his hands and muttering, 'Koyu, come back, please, come back.' Why do you think I had to help Shuei mount his horse, Koyu? Because he was just squatting on the ground, unable to go after you."

"That's not true! I rode off to allow Shuei to do what he wants ..."  
Koyu's face contorted. His breath came faster.

"No. You are right, Your Highness. Of course that's not what Shuei wanted, otherwise he wouldn't have asked me to come on this trip in the first place."  
Koyu's eyes filled with tears.  
"I was punishing him. Oh, Shuei ..."

Koyu turned to Shuei, tears rolling down his cheeks. Shuei wiped the tears off with his hand, and started to bend down to kiss Koyu.  
He stopped short, and shot an apprehensive glance at Ryuki.

Ryuki giggled.  
"Go ahead."

Ryuki watched as the kiss deepened from chaste to passionate.  
"Oi ! Oi !  
Excuse me, I'm still here, within five feet from you!"

Shuei and Koyu parted with a sucking sound.  
Ryuki grimaced.  
Two red faces turned to look at him, grinning apologetically.

"We're not quite done yet, love birds."

Ryuki waited for them to disengage properly before going on.  
"So what's going to happen when Shuei strays again? And we all know he will.  
Koyu, how do you deal with Shuei's "lapses" at Koga House?"

"I ... I just insist he bathes before touching me ..."  
Koyu trailed off lamely at the look on Ryuki's face.  
"Not good enough?"

"No, you idiot."  
Ryuki laughed.

"Besides acknowledging your anger, you need a way to work it off. A safe way to punish him."  
Ryuki thought for a while.

"You could beat him up?"

Koyu's eyes went wide.  
"Are you serious, Your Highness?  
Have you touched Shuei's muscles?"

"Oh. Wouldn't I LOVE to!"  
Ryuki said ruefully.

They laughed.

"No, I guess not, Koyu. You would end up hurting your own hand. And using a stick or something just doesn't give the same satisfaction, does it?"

Shuei had been following the last bit of discussion with disbelief. The idea of being physically punished by Koyu was, well, disconcerting.

Ryuki sat up straight in his chair.  
"I've got one!"

Ryuki looked meaningfully at Koyu.  
"Are you two reversible?"

Koyu sputtered. Shuei laughed.

"I take that to be a _yes.  
_Great!  
Koyu, you want to hurt Shuei, right?  
Take him cold, Koyu, without the benefit of oils and stretching.  
That would be a good way to work off your anger, safely."

Ryuki turned to the dumbfounded Shuei.  
"What do you think, Shuei?  
Does that sound like a good way to get absolution for your infidelity?"

"Well, yes, I suppose, but ...  
Have you SEEN Koyu's ..."

"SHUEI !"  
Koyu covered Shuei's mouth with his hand.  
"Not another word, or else!"

Shuei mumbled through Koyu's fingers,  
"Or else what? Are you going to _punish_ me?"

Above Koyu's fingers, Shuei's violet eyes darkened.  
Looking into them, Koyu's breathing became ragged.

Ryuki got out of his chair and quietly slipped out of the room.  
_Never mind the "within five feet" guidelines!_

**The End**

* * *

**Notes : **

**(1) The "within five feet" guideline is pure made-up nonsense, of course!**

**(2) When I completed WITHIN FIVE FEET, I had no intention to write a sequel. The response of a reader shocked me into writing the sequel TAKEN COLD. The reader had said that I was getting into S&M, and furthur suggested that this, S&M, was the culmination of my presenting all forms of "deviant" sex, eg. voyeurism and (anticipated) group sex in TWIN IRISES. As this note is not for TWIN IRISES, I can't respond to the last two accusations here.**

**With the sequel TAKEN COLD, I hope to show what was implied, but not dwelt upon in WITHIN FIVE FEET, that the purpose for Ryuki's suggestion to "take him cold" was the cathartic release of Koyu's suppressed anger. My intention was NEVER to present it as S&M, the purpose was never to titillate. Even in TAKEN COLD, the actual act itself is covered in just one short sentence.**

**Read the sequel TAKEN COLD and be my judge! -_-**


End file.
